Informing Arkansas, a new committee formed to promote Issue 6, the constitutional amendment to allow medical marijuana, has reported $488,521 in contributions to the campaign and $448,601 in expenses for advertising, leaving almost $40,000 for further expenses.

The group was formed in October. Early fund-raising for Issue 6 came through Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana, which raised and spent $885,000 gathering signatures to reach the ballot and defending against a legal challenge.

The group, chaired by Karyn Watkins of Maumelle (who didn't answer a listed phone), reports $376,521 from Vantage Investment of Little Rock, which lists only a postoffice box for an address and no corresponding name and address in the secretary of state's listing of corporations in the state.

The committee also reports benefitting from $112,000 in digital media purchasing by Broadleaf PSG of Cincinnati. This is headed by Cheney Pruett, chief executive of DMP Investments of Texarkana, and had contributed earlier to the ballot drive.

The committee has spent $236,601 on TV advertising through Diamond State Consulting (headed by a Republican insider, Keith Emis.) The Markham Group placed the digital media buy paid by Broadleaf.